Goose Island Bourbon Imperial Brown Goose (Draft)

Brewed by Goose Island Beer Company (AB-InBev)
Style: American Strong Ale
Chicago, Illinois USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

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Vintage 2004 - Special samples provided by brewmaster extraordinaire Will Turner. Thanks again for the hospitality. This brew was unbelievable! Dark hazed brown, thin light tan creamy head. The aromas here are rich and complex with intense notes of bourbon, caramel, wood, and toasted coconut, with lighter tones of chocolate throughout. Taste about matched with bourbon, wood, chocolate, caramel, brown sugar, and toasty coconut dominating, but a light alcohol tone comes in late to keep the balance in near perfect check. Medium bodied, light carbonation, boozy, toasty, caramel finish. One of the best beers I had on the Chicago adventure...

old notes..draft at hopcat, grand rapids mich. brown pour with beige head. huge bourbon and oak, vanilla, caramel sweetness and alcohol dominate this beer. bourbon aging seems a bit over the top. subtlety would help this tasty beer in a huge way

brown color, miniscule off white head, somewhat lacy. nose was bourbony, sweet malt, caramel, and vanilla. flavor has bourbon and vanilla mixed with traces of sweet malt, caramel. medium bodied, alcoholic finish, a fairly enjoyable barfrel brew, well worth trying. sampled at FoBAB ’09.

From notes. Tasted on draft at Watershed. Pours clear brown with a dark amber tint and an average off-white head that leaves solid lace. The nose is bourbon with the oaky aromas of vanilla and coconut. The flavor is somewhat sweet with molasses, vanilla, coconut, and oak. The body is medium but sticky with average carbonation and a long bourbon and vanilla finish.

I’ve always had a penchant for earthen colors, and growing up in an old wood farmhouse I am sure aided in this appreciation for the deep beauty and quality of all types of wood. What I have before me in my nonic taster glass is some of the prettiest polished woods I have seen brought to me by life’s liquid sustenance, beer. A small patch of lace hangs above her burnished brown depths sporting a soft haze while little ringlets of lace seem to mark the passing of her years. I don’t need any help to take in all the bourbon and brown ale delights her nose is so expertly delivering. Bourbon, vanillin, wood, brown sugars, toffee, cinnamon sticks, red apples, and a final kick of vanilla extract. Take all of those, add bourbon and wood, and just let it sit, stew, mingle, and meld into a menagerie of sensual supping delights. A full body perfectly supports her tasting delights as they glide over my tongue and caress the inside of my mouth. Apples dipped in molasses and brown sugar tease while bourbon warmth exudes wood tannins and cinnamon sprinkles. As I wrap all my senses around her full breadth, dry spices and wood offer cleanse while maple, toffee, cinnamon and spice plant long sensual kisses on my lips. Intense, and I love it. Teetering on the brink of cloying, there is just enough dryness in her finish to refresh and prep me for the next quaff while her lingering bourbon, spice, and wood are fuzzy memories to cherish always.

You don’t have to be a bourbon or beer enthusiast to love the Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Brown Goose from Goose Island, you just should. If you don’t, well, there is something wrong with you.

Draft @ Goose Island Clybourn, Chicago, IL. Pours a clear brown amber color with a small off-white head. Has a sweet malty caramel aroma with hints of vanilla and bourbon also hints of dark fruit and molasses. Sweetish malty caramel and dark fruit flavor with hints of wood and vanilla. Has a sweetish malty caramel and dark fruit finish with hints of vanilla and bourbon.

Well, there are nut browns and then there’s this beer. Aroma deep of sweet roast nuts, brown sugar and some alcohol. Taste mirrored the nose, alcohol obvious but in balance. A very rare beer, worth the price too. Loved the maple sugar flavor that was off set by the booze.

Sample from a growler @ The Party Source 10/29/09. Pours a clear amber brown color with a small off white head. The aroma has sweet caramel, vanilla, bourbon with hints of cherry. The flavor is bourbon infused sweet caramel, vanilla almost creme brulee like, again with hints of cherry. This was medium bodied and silky smooth like it came from a cask. Too bad this is not more readily available.

On tap for another great beer event at Chappy’s Tap Room in Dayton, OH. Served in a short wine glass. Dark Brown, Mahogany color, small head that quickly recedes. Aroma has brown sugar, molasses, rum and alcohol along with dark fruits of plums and dates. Sweet, very very sweet, molasses and sugar with a hint of coriander. Lots of boozy whiskey and alcohol flavors as well, although I tasted more straight whiskey and alcohol than more complex flavors of bourbon.This isn’t something you would drink a lot of, but makes a great nightcap or desert beer.

Bomber from Bierkraft, thanks to goryshkewych. Pours light brown with an off-white head. Nose is booze, vanilla, some malts, some nuttiness, and lots of sweetness. Flavor is similar and does not disappoint the bourbon lover. Tons of vanilla, some malts, and bourbon with barrel pervade this beaut. This would be a great bottled beer.

Tasted at Extreme Beerfest. Dark amber/brown with a beige head. A huge, complete and well-rounded beer. Rich vanilla and hazelnut flavor with a cedar aroma. This beer sets a high bar for everything else at this Fest. Too bad we didn’t have a snifter.